Civil defence exercise 'Operation Shield' conducted in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh

Chandigarh, May 31 (PTI) The authorities in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Saturday conducted a major statewide civil defence exercise named "Operation Shield" to enhance emergency preparedness and response capabilities.

Thereafter, black out rehearsals were also carried out in both states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh as electricity was shut at many places.

The emergency situations were simulated in all districts of the two neighbouring states and the Union Territory during the exercise, which began on Saturday evening.

Scenes of volunteers enacting as injured being taken on stretchers to ambulances and fire being put out played out during the mock drills.

The drills were aimed at evaluating and enhancing the efficacy of emergency response mechanisms in real-time situations.

The mock drills saw coordinated participation from multiple agencies, including the fire and emergency services, police, health department and disaster management authorities.

The trained volunteers from the Civil Defence, National Service Scheme (NSS) and National Cadet Corps (NCC) also participated in the exercise.

This drill was earlier scheduled for May 29, but it was postponed as per instructions of the Union Home Ministry.

The comprehensive drill was organised under the guidance of the Union Home Ministry to simulate critical incidents such as air raids, drone attacks and other wartime scenarios in the light of current national security concerns.

The exercise was conducted across Punjab and Haryana.

Haryana Additional Chief Secretary Sumita Misra, who supervised the implementation of "Operation Shield", emphasized that preparedness should not be treated as a one-time drill but must evolve into a continuous culture.

The exercise demonstrated a seamless coordination between senior officers, local administrations and community-level volunteers, marking a significant step in improving the state's response capabilities.

A key highlight of "Operation Shield" was the massive participation of around 10,000 Civil Defence volunteers, who worked in close coordination with the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), Home Guards and National Service Scheme (NSS).

This wide-reaching civilian engagement exemplified Haryana's 'Jan Bhagidari' model, placing citizens at the center of community safety and resilience. Civil Defence master trainers were trained under the guidance of the NDRF and MHA. These master trainers shall impart training to train more trainers in every district, she added.

Misra praised this collaborative approach as vital to the success of the operation.

Successful conduct was possible with the inputs from trained instructors, who were trained by the NDRF teams according to the MHA norms, she said.

Black out rehearsals began at around 8 pm which continued from 10 minutes to half-an-hour in various cities. In Fazilka, the blackout drill was planned at 9 pm for half-an-hour.

In Chandigarh, a scenario was simulated at the Air Force Station involving an attack by a swarm of enemy drones. In response to the simulated threat, the station commander sought immediate assistance from the civil administration to evacuate families from the station premises to a safer location.

Later, a coordinated 10-minute blackout drill from 8 pm to 8.10 pm was conducted in Kishangarh and IT Park.

Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav said the response of residents during the blackout drill reflects our shared commitment to collective safety and civil defence preparedness.

He extended his heartfelt gratitude to the residents, civil defence volunteers and all departments involved, noting the seamless execution of the drill without disruption or confusion.

In Punjab's Hoshiarpur, the drill was based on a hypothetical scenario in which a swarm of enemy drones attacked a military station, prompting the station commander to seek immediate assistance from the civil administration.

In response, a coordinated effort was simulated to rescue and evacuate 20 affected individuals to a safe location.

Speaking at the conclusion of the drill, Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain said that the exercise was part of the government's proactive preparedness strategy to ensure efficient coordination and operational readiness of the administration during any crisis.

She clarified that the drill was a routine preparedness measure and there was no cause for panic among residents.

"The primary objective of the mock drill is to mentally prepare the public for emergency situations and ensure seamless inter-departmental coordination," said Jain, urging the youth to follow official guidelines and actively support awareness campaigns.

The drill witnessed active participation from the Civil Defence, the fire department, medical teams, 12 Punjab NCC, police personnel and Home Guards.

A detailed review of inter-agency coordination and swift response capabilities was also carried out during the exercise.

Dasuya Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Kanwaljit Singh coordinated the drill in collaboration with the Punjab Police, Home Guards, Civil Defence, Civil Surgeon's office and the fire department, ensuring its successful execution.

The event also drew attention from the local residents, many of whom appreciated the administration's initiative and emphasized the importance of such preparedness measures.

The officials assured that similar drills would be held in future to further strengthen the district's emergency response mechanisms.

An air raid warning siren was sounded in Punjab's Fazilka, a border district, at 6 pm following which the drill began.

Prior to the drill, the Civil Defence team gave a detailed briefing on air raid precautions to all participants.

The exercise illustrated that those who lay down on the ground or moved to designated safe zones were considered "safe", while others who failed to follow safety protocols were deemed "affected".

Following this, an ambulance evacuation drill was conducted for the simulated victims and firefighting measures were also demonstrated in collaboration with the fire brigade to control outbreak scenarios on-site.

SDM Kanwarjit Singh Mann stated that the mock drill was an exercise in preparedness for any emergency and emphasized the vital role of public participation.

Mann highlighted that every citizen must be aware of these basic principles for their safety. He advised that in case of an air raid siren, one should immediately find shelter inside a building, or if unavailable, under a tree and avoid standing near windows.

In Mohali's Lalru, the drill was conducted near the building of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited Storage-cum-Bottling Plant.

Mohali Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that the drill was exercised as part of the "Operation Shield" to check the preparedness and real response time.

The blackout drill was conducted in Mohali's Derabassi and Lalru Towns, barring emergency services establishments like hospitals and nursing homes.

Earlier, residents were made aware of the exercise of blackout to abide by all precautions to replicate real-time emergency conditions by switching off lights, street lights and vehicle lights. PTI CHS AS AS